The present invention relates in general to beverage containers for personal use. In particular, the present invention relates to a beverage container which may be used for storing and dispensing a single serving of carbonated and non-carbonated beverages.
In the home, beverages are often transferred from original packaging to a container for personal use. Such containers are currently available in a variety of forms. In the general sense, these containers consist of a base defining a cavity for retaining the beverage and a cap for sealing the base. For storing non-carbonated beverages, the seal between the base and cap is often of primary concern, as leakage poses the obvious problems of beverage loss, beverage contamination, and mess. The seal is also important for the storage of carbonated beverages for the same reasons. Further, the seal must additionally be to some degree gas-tight to retain the carbonation for the desired period of time.
While the seal is thus also important for carbonated beverage containers, a greater concern is typically the danger posed by the build-up of pressure within the container, especially during removal of the cap. Specifically, the internal pressure acts upon the underside of the cap tending to force it away from the base. As the user removes the cap, this pressure may cause the cap to be expelled from the container in a very energetic manner. This may even be so energetic as to cause danger to the user.